The Apple Watch Collection 8 seems to be on observe for its typical fall launch this yr and whereas it can little question as soon as once more solely cater to iPhone house owners, that’s unlikely to cease it from repeating as the preferred smartwatch in the marketplace.
Whereas Apple will not have something to say concerning the new {hardware} till it takes the stage to announce it, there have been appreciable leaks and rumors concerning the Apple Watch Collection 8 going all the way in which again to earlier than the launch of the Apple Watch 7 final yr.
This is a take a look at every part that we all know up to now concerning the Apple Watch Collection 8 together with the anticipated launch date, pricing, specs and extra.Â
Apple Watch Collection 8: Launch date
Apple is nothing if not constant on the subject of the announcement of the Apple Watch and so we have now at all times identified that an early September launch was a digital assure. It seems to be like this yr can be no completely different with a latest report indicating that the Apple September 2022 occasion is occurring on September 7. Apple Watch Collection 8 and the iPhone 14 ought to each make their debut.
The precise delivery date has been a bit much less constant, however mostly Apple sticks to Friday the week after the announcement, which on this case can be September 16.
Apple Watch Collection 8: Value
The expectation is that Apple will follow its present pricing for the Apple Watch with the bottom mannequin beginning at $399. Upgrading to the mobile mannequin ought to as soon as once more add $100 whether or not you get the bottom Apple Watch or on high of the $30 premium you may pay for the bigger mannequin. Pricing for various case supplies like Stainless Metal or Titanium will drive the value increased, presumably as soon as once more matching the present $699 and $799 value factors.
The one wild card for pricing this yr is the rumored Apple Watch Collection 8 Professional, a high-end “rugged” mannequin for excessive sports activities with a bigger show that has been tipped by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his Energy On publication and corroborated by others. We’ll get into among the potential specs for this mannequin beneath, however pricing might begin at $899 to remain above even the Titanium model, however that’s merely hypothesis.
Apple Watch Collection 8: Design
The design of the Apple Watch has undergone solely minor modifications through the years with final yr’s bigger show representing probably the most important updates, however issues is likely to be in for extra of a shakeup this yr. Forward of the Apple Watch Collection 7 launch a set of leaks from Jon Prosser in affiliation with @IanZelbo after which a subsequent set of leaks from PhoneArena all confirmed a dramatic new design for the Apple Watch.
These renders, and the leaked schematics they had been allegedly primarily based on, revealed an Apple Watch that follows Apple’s present flat-edge design language discovered on nearly all of its lineup. It is doable that these leaks had been simply too early and the schematics had been in reality for the Apple Watch Collection 8. There have been notably fewer leaks concerning the Apple Watch 8 design this yr, so for now that is all we have now to go on.
The one exception is the aforementioned bigger rugged mannequin. Past the leaks from Mark Gurman, DSCC’s Ross Younger and Haitong Worldwide Securities’ Jeff Pu have independently claimed {that a} 2-inch Apple Watch show is coming this yr. That may characterize a roughly 5% measurement bump from the most important Collection 7 show.
Gurman claims this Professional mannequin will function “an evolution of the present rectangular form, and never round,” but additionally refuted the flat-edge design and indicated it can use a titanium chassis with a extra shatter-resistant show.
Apple Watch Collection 8: Options
Whereas watchOS 9 will convey a variety of new options to present Apple Watch house owners in addition to Collection 8 patrons, there are some potential new options unique to the Collection 8. Probably the most notable of those is a body-temperature sensor, whereas Gurman believes that the blood strain sensor and blood glucose sensors that some have advised could arrive should not coming till 2025 and past.
We  additionally anticipate updates to the internals which will supply some efficiency enhancements and maybe longer battery life, however there have been no direct leaks to supply any particular there.
Outlook
Whereas there are a selection of wonderful wearables out there, the truth is that nothing is threating Apple’s dominance, significantly for Apple customers. So whereas the leaks and rumors up to now level to a comparatively minor replace to the Apple Watch Collection 8, that will not cease it from being one other enormous hit.
The Apple Watch does a superb job as each a smartwatch and as a health and well being tracker with options like the brand new prescription monitoring additional enhancing its utility for a broad vary of customers. The function I might most prefer to see enchancment on is the battery life. Significantly with Apple selling it as a well being software that may play an important function for some customers, the necessity to cost day by day appears like the obvious Achilles heel for the in any other case class-leading smartwatch.
Keep tuned as we’ll replace with all the newest leaks and rumors on the Apple Watch Collection 8 proper up till launch.
